Fort Orange Club preparing to demolish Washington Avenue buildings

Published 2:34 pm, Thursday, January 20, 2011

Under a deal signed Dec. 11, the Fort Orange Club will go forward with plans to demolish two 19th century Washington Avenue buildings for a parking lot. (Philip Kamrass / Times Union)

Under a deal signed Dec. 11, the Fort Orange Club will go forward with plans to demolish two 19th century Washington Avenue buildings for a parking lot. (Philip Kamrass / Times Union)

Photo: PHILIP KAMRASS

Fort Orange Club preparing to demolish Washington Avenue buildings

1 / 1

Back to Gallery

ALBANY -- The Fort Orange Club has notified members its parking lot will be closed during the day this weekend to accommodate the demolition of two neighboring buildings that sat at the center of a 21/2-year tug of war between the private club and historic preservationists who wanted to save the structures.

A settlement early last month ended the Historic Albany Foundation's lawsuit to block the demolition of 118-120 Washington Ave., allowing Historic Albany to salvage what it could and document the 19th-century buildings before they come down.

The window to do that work has now expired.

Historic Albany and some residents of the surrounding neighborhoods, about a block from state Capitol, argued the buildings are part of lower Washington Avenue's historic streetscape. But the club contended the buildings themselves, which have been substantially changed since they were built at least as far back as the 1830s, had no historic value.

The city's Planning Board agreed, granting the club permission to demolish after a protracted and contentious fight.

In its message to members, the club said the parking lot -- which it is looking to expand and reconfigure as part of a larger club expansion that began in 2008 -- would be closed during the day this weekend but open at night.

More Information

It was not immediately clear what time the demolition is scheduled to begin.

One of the buildings' legacies will be a new demolition review ordinance passed last year by the Common Council that requires all non-emergency demolitions to go before the Planning Board, allowing public comment and a lengthier review.